Chief procurement officer: “40% of government contracts in September were with SMEs”

The Government has put forward the Olympic Delivery Authority as an example of procurement best practice in the public sector.

Chief procurement officer John Collington told the Cabinet Office procurement conference earlier this week: “They have delivered the Olympics in time and on schedule in terms of the work so far and they have done so with openness and transparency.

“We in government must take the same approach, so every procurement must start with the principle, what will that supply chain look like and how will SMEs be allowed into that supply chain.”

Collington said that in September 2011, 1600 contracts, or 40% of government contracts, were agreed with small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs), compared with only 5% in January.

Coillington has promised more business with SMEs in the future, along with new commercial contractual models, more instances of re-use of equipment and systems across government and more savings and value for money.